Joel Gotkin is a Member in the firm’s St. Louis, Missouri, office.  Joel focuses his practice on all aspects of patent law, and has broad experience across various technology areas, particularly within mechanical and computer science technologies.  Joel has significant experience with all phases of patent prosecution in the United States, including patent application drafting, responding to Office Actions, and briefing and arguing appeals before the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).  Joel also represents clients in litigation matters in front of various U.S. district courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Joel is also a part of the firm’s mentorship program and helps develop communication and patent prosecution skills for new attorneys.

Joel has experience working with both large corporations and individuals.  He works closely with clients to support their unique needs, including cultivating and strengthening their patent portfolios, developing worldwide patenting strategies, preparing noninfringement and invalidity opinions, counseling on patent monetization strategies, and working with clients to develop and execute litigation and licensing strategies.

Joel is an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he teaches courses in patent claim construction and legal opinions. He also teaches courses in patent law and application drafting at Saint Louis University School of Law. He also serves as an advisor on various IP competitions, which allows him to stay current on core cases and issues affecting the IP landscape.

Before joining the firm, Joel spent a year at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, acquiring an LL.M. in intellectual property and competition law, which he regularly puts to use counseling domestic and international clients.  Joel travels often and lectures on various patent topics including software patent eligibility and artificial intelligence, both for current and prospective clients, and at academic conferences. He also trains clients on various topics at the firm’s annual Intellectual Property Training Institute in Alexandria, Virginia.